Spivy, a thoughtful leader for D200

Opinion: Letters To The Editor

Tuesday, March 12th, 2019 1:23 PM

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Email

Print

I support the re-election of Sara Dixon Spivy for the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 Board of Education. During her first four years on the D200 board, Sara has demonstrated that she is a thoughtful, professional, engaged and intelligent leader.

She has worked tirelessly to help improve opportunities for all students at the high school. She worked to create the Culture, Climate and Behavior Committee to address disproportionate discipline of African-American students. She also co-founded the Tri-Board Equity Committee to promote needed coordination between the high school and school districts 90 and 97.

Sara has demonstrated strong fiscal stewardship. She understands and capably balances complex (and sometimes competing) issues, such as thinking strategically about the tax strain placed on our community while understanding the need to make certain crucial facility improvements in a very old school building. During her first term on the D200 board She also has worked collaboratively with the other taxing bodies in Oak Park and River Forest, helping to foster a spirit of cooperation and a desire to find efficiencies that benefit all of us.

The local election on April 2 matters, and Sara's voice is needed on the D200 board.Please vote and make a difference for our children and our community. I hope you will join me in supporting Sara Dixon Spivy.

Slight edit to my previous post. The other Board members were not listed as financial supporters of the Vote Yes effort. i do not know how they voted.

Kitty Conklin Facebook Verified

Posted: March 15th, 2019 10:11 PM

Slight edit to my previous post - the other Board members in 2016 were not financial contributors to the Vote Yes effort. I don't know how each voted.

Kitty Conklin from Oak Park Facebook Verified

Posted: March 15th, 2019 10:07 PM

Over the last 16 months, I have attended quite a few D200 Board meetings and I find Sara Dixon Spivy to be one of the LEAST fiscally responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. Spivy was the second largest financial contributor to the Vote Yes Pool Referendum in 2016 and was, in fact, the only Board member to Vote Yes. In addition to this financial support, her votes in 2015 and 2016 to spend $34.1 million - $37.5 million on enormous swimming pools were cast to appease an influential special interest group, the aquatic team parents. Spivy was also silent in two key Board meetings in December 2018 that centered on whether or not to fund Imagine's $65 million pool/PE complex now. She was the ONLY Board member who sat in total silence on this controversial subject. I have also attended IGOV meetings, again a group in which Spivy participates. Spivy has NOT worked to find efficiencies across units of government that will benefit us all. Simone Boutet is the ONLY member of the current IGOV team to promote a truly serious efficiency idea, that of adopting priority budgeting within units of government. I do not support Sara Dixon Spivy for the D200 Board of Trustees.

Facebook Connect

Please Enable JavaScriptFor All Site Features.

Answer Book 2018

To view the full print edition of the Wednesday Journal 2018 Answer Book, please click here.